.JPG) |
| Ulviyya (centre left) and Sharifa with their colleagues on their stand at Global Birdfair - the first time Azerbaijan has been officially represented at the event |
COME to Azerbaijan for great birding!
That was the message from Ulviyya Safarova and Sharifa Hasanova in a fascinating and very impressive presentation at Gobal Birdfair.
Although a few independent travellers have already discovered what's on offer - not just the birds but also the delicious food and excellent hospitality - the country is not yet well known to the UK birding community.
But that is likely to change as Azerbaijan's energetic tourist board strives to promote its eco-tourism credentials, notably its birdlife which numbers more than 400 species, with the chance of discovering more.
"You can visit a range of habitats in less than a forthnight," enthused Ulviyya, who is a product development specialist for the tourism board.
"British birders will always be very welcome. It will be privilege to showcase what we have to offer - not just the birds but our countryside and our culture."
Azerbaijan sits on the Caspian Sea and shares borders with Georgia, Russia and Turkey.
As part of their presentation, the two speakers cast a spotlight on the individual bird-rich regions, some of the most impressive species and the best times to visit.
These include:
* Talish Mountains (black-throated thrush, Caspian tit, shikra, semi-collared flycatcher)
* Nakhchivan (Mongolian finch,grey-necked bunting, Persian wheatear, white-throated robin, Radde's accentor, see-see partridge, Upcher's warbler)
* Agool National Park (grey-headed swamphen, white-headed duck, white-tailed lapwing
* Gizilagach National Park (citrine wagtail, Terek sandpiper, Dalmatian pelican)
* Shirvan National Park (black francolin, little bustard, Menetries' warbler, blue-cheeked bee-eater, marbled duck)
.JPG)
* Besharmag Bird Migration Bottleneck (black-winged pratincole, imperial eagle, white-winged lark, pallid harrier)
Those who partake in a whistlestop tour can explore the whole country in not much more than a fortnight, but obviously it is preferable to stay longer to make the most of what is on offer in this enchanting country.
Most travellers will arrive by flight at the country's vibrant capital, Baku, which, incidentally, has another jewel of its own - one completely unrelated to birds.
It was the home of Tofiq Bahramov, the linesman in the 1966 World Cup Final, whose crucial intervention at a critical moment in extra-time encouraged the uncertain Swiss referee to award a goal to England.
Most in the UK believed, mistakenly, that Mr Bahramov was Russian because his homeland was then part of the Soviet Union. But we are happy to put the record straight - he was a proud Azerbaijani!
.jpg) |
| Tofiq Bahramov - legend of football |
Outside the stadium, there is a statue honouring the late Mr Bahramov, while inside there is a room dedicated to his life in football - both within his own country and internationally.
For more information:
Also, The Russian Linesman is available as an e-book via Kindle from Amazon:
No comments:
Post a Comment